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The Vincentians Serve the Poor in Kenya, East Africa
Have you ever heard of Kibera? You will not find it on any map or globe, but it is there – right in the heart of Nairobi in Kenya – the second largest slum in the world with nearly 1,000,000 people including 100,000 orphans. Its sole infrastructure are the tens of thousands of mud huts and scrap tin huts. There are no legal protections for any one or any thing, just individuals and families living right on top of each other, barely surviving. Most of them are fellow Christians.
Few people would see Kibera as anything but an open sore on the face of an already wounded land.
The Kibera slum in Nairobi, East Africa, is the 2nd largest slum in the world.
Outreach to the Poor
The Kibera slum in Nairobi, East Africa, is the 2nd largest slum in the world.
The priests and brothers of the Congregation of the Mission see much more. Among God’s children in Kibera they see the faces of our brothers and sisters in Christ. Their poverty is our call to love, and it is with a joy-filled love that we have begun to answer.
Even though the Vincentian missionaries work primarily in evangelization and with the clergy, we also pay attention to the poverty that is literally at our doorstep. We help other members of the Vincentian family, like the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul, in their work with the orphans.
In May 2005, we opened Saint Vincent’s Nursery School in the heart of the Kibera slum. There are 93 children enrolled in the daycare center, and the center would love to serve more. The teachers prepare the children for primary school. Education is the only way out of the slums.
St. Vincent’s nursery school in the Kibera slum is only one small part of the Vincentian’s mission in Kenya.
DePaul Woodworking
Stephen S. is in his mid-thirties, but life expectancy in his nation of Kenya has plummeted to 46 years old over the last two decades. Therefore he knows he may have but a few years left to provide a better life for his wife and young sons.
Still, Stephen feels grateful. He is healthy and enrolled in “DePaul Woodworking,” a vocational skills program that helps men and women become certified in the carpentry trade. Directed by Vincentian Brother Jim Donlevy, C.M., the two-year training initiative is changing lives for this family and many others.
Cold Water Charity
Water is a rare commodity in the slums. The poor come to our gate to get water from our well. The Vincentian Community along with the Daughters of Charity through the Dream Center, literally give out hundreds of liters of water every day. People come to the center daily with large plastic containers to carry the water home from our mission’s ample supply. Some come by foot, walking maybe 5-7 miles – others come pushing old wheel barrels to help ease the weight. Many come on bicycles, arranged in such a way as to carry 3-4 large cans. This is what we call our Cold Water Charity. Our water is offered to the sick who suffer from AIDS through the Dream Center, which is also on our campus.
DePaul Centre Seminary
Today there are seven East African Vincentians who have been ordained. They are serving the poor in rural areas. There are currently 32 men in formation from Kenya and Uganda who will hopefully one day be ordained to the priesthood as Vincentians.
The Novitiate
Due to the number of Kenyans that are entering this seminary program and being ordained, we have now expanded our evangelization efforts to Holy Cross Parish in Thigio and St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Kamulu, Kenya.
An essential part of their formation is direct service to the poor. The seminarians travel twice a week to our Vincentian parishes. They dedicate their time there to visiting the homebound sick. Many of these people are HIV/AIDS victims. Twenty percent of the population of Thigio is infected. They not only help with the care of these victims, but the Vincentians also assist in educating them and their families about the disease. They inform the people of the various programs and treatments available at the nearby clinic at Holy Cross Parish. The Vincentian seminarians also reach out to these victims, who live on the brink of starvation, by bringing these struggling families basic supplies such as flour, rice, vegetables, and milk.
On Sundays, a group of seminarians work with the small Christian communities in Makuru Kwa Njenga, a huge slum area. In the slum, they work with the youth and in a variety of supportive outreach projects for the poor of the area. Their language skills of Kiswahili and English, as well as some tribal languages, have proven to be instrumental in their effectiveness.
As Vincentians, we continue with a ministry that brought us to Kenya in the first place – teaching at Christ the King Major Seminary in Nyeri, preparing young Kenyan men for the priesthood. Besides teaching, they are involved in the spiritual lives of the students through Spiritual Direction and mentorship.
Tangaza College, the Catholic University of Eastern Africa, has over 1000 students from 100 different religious communities. We have Vincentians seminarians attending Tangaza for their theology education, as well as Vincentian priests serving as teachers.
Join Us in the Kenya Mission
Will you support the Vincentians with a tax deductible gift that can be put to work in Kenya right now? Here is what your generosity can mean:
- $200 – tuition, fees, books, and living expenses for one seminarian for a month.
- $500 will cover retreats, books and supplies for one seminarian for a year.
- $1000 gift/pledge will pay for the tuition of a future seminarian.
- $2450 gift/pledge will fully sponsor a Vincentian in Kenya.
For more information on sponsoring a seminarian, click here.
Supporting the mission will help the Vincentains meet the spiritual and material needs of the poor in Kenya for many years to come. We are grateful for whatever gift you can give. Donations are wired directly to our priests and brothers in Kenya, so you have our promise it will be put directly to work for those we serve.
For more information on making a contribution, please contact:
Congregation of the Mission
Ms. Teresa R. Manna
Director of Development
13663 Rider Trail North
Earth City, MO 63045-1512
314-344-1184
314-344-2989 Fax
Contact the Director of Development
